Zarina agrees to return for trial at home: Police<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Zarina, the Ecstasy-case suspect apprehended
\nrecently in Houston, U.S., has agreed to be brought back home for
\nprosecution, a police officer said yesterday.<\/p>\n
National Police Spokesman Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi said the
\n24-year-old novice television series actress is expected to
\narrive here by Monday.<\/p>\n
"According to the latest information from our detectives in
\nHouston, Zarina is going to stand trial at a local court there
\nfor an immigration violation on Tuesday, Houston time or
\nWednesday Jakarta time," Nurfaizi said.<\/p>\n
Nurfaizi said the Houston court might give only a light
\nsentence to Zarina so she could be flown immediately to Jakarta
\nto be tried for allegedly possessing 29,677 Ecstasy pills, worth
\nabout Rp 1.78 billion (US$757,700).<\/p>\n
Nurfaizi did not describe the U.S. immigration officers'
\ncharges against Zarina, but the Indonesian consul general in
\nHouston, Siswadi Harjowijoyo, said she was accused of using fake
\ndocuments to enter the U.S.<\/p>\n
Both officers gave no explanation about how long Zarina might
\nspend in jail.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Nufaizi said the suspect was arrested in the United
\nStates because she entered with a false passport.<\/p>\n
"We hope that Zarina can leave the States immediately after
\nshe has complied with any punishment handed down by the Houston
\ncourt and can arrive at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
\nhere as scheduled," he said.<\/p>\n
Zarina is being detained at Houston's Liberty County Jail.<\/p>\n
She was arrested in Houston after Indonesian police assisted
\nby FBI personnel found her hiding behind a clothes rack in a
\ndepartment store last Monday.<\/p>\n
Five senior Jakarta police detectives, led by Lt. Col. Gories
\nMere, have been in Houston since late last month.<\/p>\n
They are assigned to escort Zarina from the United States to
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Zarina's lawyer Amir Syamsuddin, from Jakarta, is representing
\nher in her immigration case and her Ecstasy case.<\/p>\n
The suspect was arrested on Aug. 7 for possessing Ecstasy
\npills at her home in the Taman Alfa Indah housing complex in
\nJoglo, West Jakarta. The police found the pills in a box. Zarina
\nescaped during a police escort the next day.<\/p>\n
Zarina's father, property businessman Mirafsur K, said his
\ndaughter had told him and the police she thought the box
\ncontained only cash because that was what her friend told her.<\/p>\n
She also denied police claims she rented the house where the
\nEcstasy-filled box was found, said Mirafsur, who spoke to the
\npress for the first time late last week.<\/p>\n
"It was rented by a friend named Edwin," he said.<\/p>\n
So far police have not questioned Edwin.<\/p>\n
Zarina's escape might lead to some of her relatives being
\narrested, in particular those who might have helped her escape.<\/p>\n
Before arriving in the U.S. a month ago, Zarina had hid in
\nseveral Indonesian cities including Bogor, Yogyakarta and Batam
\nisland and spent a few days in Singapore and Malaysia, police
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In Houston, she was said to have stayed at a house belonging
\nto the family of her younger sister Rovina.<\/p>\n
During police questioning, Rovina's husband, Thomas Jamail
\nJr., an American working at the Indonesian Consulate General's
\noffice in Houston, tried to conceal Zarina's presence at their
\nhouse.<\/p>\n
Consul general Siswadi was quoted by Antara as saying on
\nSunday he had suspended Jamail from work.<\/p>\n
"Rather than having a headache, it's better for me to keep him
\nwaiting at his house and ask him to help us persuade his sister-
\nin-law to be willing to be brought back to Indonesia for trial,"
\nSiswadi said. (bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/zarina-agrees-to-return-for-trial-at-home-police-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}